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The King Air 350 and its many variants have been marketed under a number of different names, making the lineage somewhat difficult to follow. The King Air 350, also known as the King Air B300, was initially marketed as the Super King Air 350 in 1990, when it was created as the successor to the King Air 300, but the “Super” designation was dropped in 1996.
Compared to the 300, the King Air 350’s fuselage was stretched by close to three feet, was equipped with winglets and two extra cabin windows, and its maximum takeoff weight was increased to 15,000 lbs.
The King Air 350C was created as the cargo version of the King Air 350, which is simply a King Air 350 with a large cargo door.
In 2005, Beechcraft announced development of the King Air 350ER, increasing its maximum takeoff weight to 16,500 lbs, adding a belly pod for surveillance purposes, upgrading its landing gear in order to handle its increased weight and provide ground clearance for the belly pod, and adding extra fuel capacity to increase its range.
The King Air 350CER combines the upgrades of the 350C and 350ER, giving the King Air the ER upgrades mentioned above, as well as a cargo door.
In 2008, Beechcraft announced the King Air 350i, which came with improvements to the cabin, including reduced noise levels and improved overall comfort. It was updated with controllers in the passenger seat armrests that control the LED lights, window tint, an iPod dock and HD video monitor. The cabin was also given USB ports, AC electrical outlets, and foldout tables at each passenger seat.
The King Air 350iER, 350iC, and 350iCER are the ER, C, and CER models with the same upgraded cabin amenities that the 350i has.
The performance specs for each of the King Air 350 variants are nearly identical, except for the ER models’ increased range of more than 800 nautical miles. The maximum range of the King Air 350 is around 1,800 nautical miles, while the ER model’s maximum range was increased to nearly 2,700 nautical miles.
Do you have experience with the King Air 350? Let us know your thoughts on the different variants, and the advantages/disadvantages of each.
To learn more about the King Air 350, check out our Turboprop Buyers’ Guide.
